Manipur polls: PM said 'thali bajao' while people struggled for oxygen, says Rahul
“During the initial months of the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, the PM had asked citizens to clang utensils standing from their homes and later on a separate occasion to light lamps or candles or mobile phone flashlights as a show of solidarity,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday mocked the Centre's fight against Covid-19 during a poll rally in Manipur capital Imphal.
"During the initial months of the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, the PM had asked citizens to clang utensils standing from their homes and later on a separate occasion to light lamps or candles or mobile phone flashlights as a show of solidarity. All this was happening when many struggled to find medical oxygen and ventilators," news agency ANI quoted the Congress MP, who also termed the covid vaccination drive in the poll-bound state poor as compared to other states.
“And the prime minister’s fascinating solution to the problem of Covid was to tell the people of India ‘Thali Bajao virus baag jayega’ (clang your plates and the virus will go). You understand the vision these people have. Probably the only leader in the world whose reaction to a virus was ‘Thali Bajao’. You are laughing but he is our PM. These are the ideas that the prime minister of India has. These are the ideas some of which he will give you tomorrow,” Gandhi said.
Recalling the voters that he was ridiculed for his warnings regarding the pandemic, Gandhi said, “On numerous occasions in Parliament, I told the government that Covid is going to devastate India. We need to take action. We need to prepare ourselves against Covid. I was ridiculed by the BJP and by the government,” he added.
He also said that the Covid vaccination drive in Manipur was “bad” compared to other states and assured that if elected to power, Congress will not differentiate between states.
More than 26 lakh Covid vaccine doses have been administered in Manipur as of date, according to data from the Co-WIN dashboard. Kakching with 77.56 per cent first dose coverage and 64.03 per cent second dose coverage had the highest vaccinations among districts, as per data from the National Health Mission (NHM) Manipur on Sunday (February 20).
Manipur votes in two phases to elect its 60-member Assembly on February 28 and March 5. The counting of votes takes place on March 10.
